Every Time
by Velocity3127
Summary: A oneshot that's really four short oneshots. Ross and Laura's relationship over the years. Based on the song Every Time.


**Author's note: sorry for the long random leave from fanfiction. I was super busy with robotics championships and I had writer's block so I didn't write anything. Well, it's only been a few weeks, I think, but it seems like forever.**

 **Anyway, this new Raura oneshot is in four short parts and it's based on my current new favorite song, Every Time by the German band Münchener Freiheit (no, I am not German or from Germany, but they're cool). I hope you like this! (And check out the song! It's even better than this fic!)**

* * *

 _Every time you need me, I'll be here_

 _Every time you leave me, I'll be near_

 _Every time you hold me like you do_

 _I'm so in love with you!_

* * *

 **2013**

 _Every time you need me, I'll be here_

"Hey, Laura, what's up?" Ross asked, barging into her dressing room after a long rehearsal.

She wasn't on her iPad, like she sometimes would be, or just hanging out, ready for more rehearsals even though she had an hour's break. She wasn't even eating Go-Gurt. Instead, she was sitting at her desk, a piece of furniture that Ross only saw as decoration. He didn't know she actually _used_ it.

"Hey, Ross," she said, not even looking up at him.

"So, do you want to go over some scenes with me? I was a bit confused about-"

"Sorry, Ross, I'm busy." she said, not unkindly, but in a tone that he had never heard before from her.

She sighed. "Sorry. I didn't mean it to come out that way. I'll practise with you in a bit, but I'm sort of busy right now. Is that okay?"

"Oh, yeah, for sure!" he replied, trying not to sound too disappointed. She never passed up an opportunity to hang out with him, and he was feeling more than a little ignored. "What are you doing?"

"Calculus," she replied, aggressively erasing something on the page. "Seriously? I messed up again!"

"Wow," he commented, "that looks hard."

"It is!" she replied, sounding a little frustrated. "It's just that... there's so much going on at school, and so much to do on set, and with all of the publicity things we have to do... my life is just crazy right now."

"I get it," he replied. "With my band, and the show, and everything else... it's a bit overwhelming. But I guess that's a part of teenage life, right? A little stress pushes you harder."

"I know, it's just..." she sighed, then turned to face him for the first time that day.

He did a double take when he saw her. He had seen Laura busy before, but she was always happy and worked through whatever was going on in her life. She always got it done with a smile on her face, no matter how hard it was and how tired she was. This time, though, she looked absolutely worn out. He knew that look, but only because he had seen it and felt it on himself. Never would he have thought that a strong, optimistic, determined girl like Laura would ever look that defeated.

"Are you okay?" he finally said.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she started, then stopped. "Who am I kidding, no, I'm not. I don't think I've ever been this stressed about the show, or about school, or about interviews and photoshoots and anything else, really. Ross, what am I going to do?"

"Well, you'll have to get through it, just like you get through everything else," he said.

"But how?" she asked. "I just don't have time for all of this! I mean, I love _Austin & Ally_, so it's not like I'm just going to quit, and I love school, so I'm not going to quit that, either, but it's just so much work!"

"Hey, I get it." he replied. "I'm not going to quit the show or R5. We're just going to have to get through it together. You and me, like we've always done. A little extra work isn't going to stop us. We can do it, Laura."

"Thanks, Ross," she said, giving him a hug. "That means a lot."

"And don't try to hide all you feelings," he added. "I know everyone thinks you're always the happy one, but if you're overwhelmed, don't feel like you have to take it with a fake smile. You can come to me, no matter what. And we'll work through it together."

"You can count on me, too." she replied. "Thanks, Ross. You're the best."

"No problem," he said. "Every time you need me, I'll be here."

* * *

 **2015**

 _Every time you leave me, I'll be near_

"See you soon, Calum! I'll miss you!"

Laura had just finished saying goodbye to her former co-star and best friend. The filming of _Austin & Ally _had just ended, and there were more than a few tearful goodbyes, but only two former cast members remained. It was fitting that they were the title actors of the title characters, staying together until the very end.

"Ross?" she called down the halls of the deserted set. "Ross, where are you?"

Suddenly, she heard loud pattering, the sound of someone running. She looked around, expecting to see a familiar blond head pop out of some random corner. What she wasn't prepared for was the impact of his jump. He nearly knocked her down to the ground, jumping on her from behind, but they only laughed as he held her.

"Ross! You scared me!" she exclaimed in a joking tone, as if it was just another ordinary day on set.

He just held onto her in a hug from behind, and she would be lying if she said she didn't like it. It made her feel warm inside, like she wasn't alone. But she would be in only a few minutes.

"I'm going to miss you," she said softly, wanting to look at his face but only seeing his arms around her.

"I'm going to miss you more," he replied, even quieter, hugging her tighter.

"I can't believe we're actually leaving all of this," she said. "We won't see each other every single day, we won't get to be best friends..."

"We can still be best friends," he replied. "That doesn't have to change."

She swallowed hard, not voicing what she knew that he knew that she was thinking. It was inevitable that they would drift apart. It always happened. R5 was already getting big, and he would be a singer and not an actor. And she would be an actress, and not a singer. They might never cross paths again.

"I...yeah, I guess," she stumbled.

She didn't really think so, but what was the point in already accepting that they would no longer be friends? It was like giving up. Still, though, she couldn't imagine not having Ross beside her every day and laughing like they always would.

"I know what you're thinking, Laura," he said suddenly, pulling her around to face him.

She looked at his face, not really wanting to, for fear that the memories would just make it harder to say goodbye forever. She couldn't even imagine a life without him next to her.

"You're not wrong." he said.

She gulped. It was too soon for this confirmation.

"You're not wrong that I have every intention to pursue a career as a singer. But you _are_ wrong that I'm just going to forget about you, and the show, and all of this." he told her. "How could I? This has been my life for the last four years, and I never regretted a minute of it. And we can still be best friends. Maybe more, if... actually, never mind. Just leave it at that. We can still be best friends."

Her heart jumped at his unfinished sentence, but she decided not to mention it, at least not until later. Maybe when she had gathered the courage, but that courage hadn't found her at the moment.

"I'm going to miss you, do you know that?" he said softly, hugging her tightly and squeezing his eyes shut.

He took a few deep breaths but couldn't help but let a few tears drip down his face and into her hair.

"I know," she replied. "I know, I know, and I'm going to miss you, too. Ross, I'm going to miss you so much."

"And we're going to visit each other as much as possible." he said. "No matter how busy our lives get, we're always going to have time to be best friends."

"I just can't believe that we're leaving each other so soon," she replied. "It seems like it was just yesterday that we met. But there's been a lifetime of memories since then."

"We're not leaving each other," he said, "I'll always be here. I'll always find you, and if you need me, just call me. Wherever I am, I'll come to you."

"That's so sweet, Ross..." she mumbled, pulling him closer to her.

"It's the least I can do for you," he said. "And every time we say goodbye, just remember that's the only way we can see each other again. There are no goodbyes without hellos."

"I'm so glad I got to know you, Ross." she replied.

"I couldn't imagine not meeting you, Laura." he told her with equal sincerity. "Come visit me any time. I'll be more than happy to see you again. Every time you leave me, I'll be near."

* * *

 **2017**

 _Every time you hold me like you do_

"Laura!" he exclaimed, running up to her.

She, however, was the one who ran up to his open arms and tackled him in a hug. Of course, he was able to take the impact, her tiny body barely even shaking him as she transferred her full weight upon him. He laughed, holding her around the waist.

"I missed you so much!" she exclaimed. "What have you been up to? I know about your movie, and all of your new songs! You've been up to so much since we last saw each other!"

"Yeah, it's been busy," he replied, still grinning. "But what about you? When are we going to get an album from you?"

"Soon, I hope," she said. "It still needs a lot of work! I promise, I'll tell you as soon as we have a release date."

"I can't wait," he replied sincerely, looking her directly in the eye for the first time that day.

She put her arms around him again, feeling a warmth growing in her. For once, their every movement wasn't being watched. In fact, no one even knew about their little reunion at Laura's house, not even their parents or siblings. It was just them. It was relaxing, somehow. It didn't have that little undertone of stress that was always present in their lives.

"Laura, I wish we could see each other more often," he admitted. "But we're both so busy. How can we find more time to spend with each other?"

 _We could date,_ she thought. Then she blinked and, for the first time since seeing him, her smile faded just slightly. Where had that thought come from? They had always just been friends, and she would never wish otherwise. Maybe she was just getting desperate to see him again.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to make you sad!" he said, thinking that her frown was due to his words.

"No, that's not it at all," she reassured him, smiling a bit again. "Yeah. But you're right, how _could_ we find more time to spend with each other?"

"Well, we could d-" he started, then stopped. "Actually, never mind."

"No, what were you going to say?" she asked, curious now.

"Nothing, nothing." he replied. "Well, I'm just... I'm super proud of you, Laura. You've done so many awesome things since _Austin & Ally_, and I knew you could do it all."

"Aw, thanks, Ross!" she exclaimed, flinging her arms around him again and smiling at the feeling of his embrace. "I'm super proud of you, too. I'll always believe in you."

He didn't even try to deny the bubbly happy feeling that only she could give him. It happened every time they hugged, every time they touched, and even every time he saw her. He _knew_ he liked her; that was the only reason that he would've even thought of bringing up the idea of dating her. And he had almost accidentally said it, but luckily held himself back. He knew that they would only be friends, and there was no way he was going to ruin any of that. It scared him to think of her disappointment and rejection.

Still, as he held her in his arms, he couldn't help but mumble wistfully, "Every time you hold me like you do..."

* * *

 **2023**

 _I'm so in love with you!_

It had been months since they had last seen, years since their beloved show had ended, dozens of reunions, she'd had two short but failed relationships, and he'd had one girlfriend, with whom he broken up after a few years, but he _still_ hadn't worked up the courage to talk to Laura about his feelings. It had been a decade, for crying out loud! How could he could love her for so long, but still not have the courage to admit it to her? He was just more and more afraid of rejection. Procrastination was really his thing.

He took a deep breath before opening the door that led to the backstage area of the crowded arena. He and Laura performing the opening song in an R5 concert. They were singing _Can't Do It Without You_ , and even after all the years, the seats sold out in minutes, not for R5, but for himself and Laura.

He took a microphone and walked onstage. Instantly, his confidence and energy was back, and gone were the nerves.

"What's up LA!" he exclaimed to the roaring crowd. "Thanks for coming out, but before we start, we have a very special song."

The crowd cheered even louder and he grinned, motioning to backstage. "Come on out, Laura!"

He hadn't actually seen her before the concert, so seeing her walk onstage to join him was their own reunion. She hugged her quickly and he handed her a microphone. The cheering only grew louder. He knew that the crowd was full of Raura shippers, which made him a little nervous, but also happy. If they didn't give up on the two of them, he didn't have to, either.

All of a sudden, the very familiar intro to the very familiar song started on the drums. They could barely hear the drums; the cheering was so loud. He looked at Laura and smiled. She hadn't changed one bit since they'd first met, and he loved her even more for it.

"When the crowd wants more, I bring on the thunder,"

"'Cause you got my back and I'm not going under!"

Ross motioned for the crowd to continue the song, and they delivered. He had never, not in his long career, seen such an enthusiastic audience. It made him proud. Proud of himself, maybe a little, but proud of Laura. There was no denying how much she had always meant to him, and how much she still meant to him.

They both smiled widely, sneaking glances at each other. Throughout the song, they kept glancing at each other, every look bringing back a multitude of memories that they had shared with each other. Never, since the show ended eight years back, had either of them felt so accomplished and at ease.

For Laura, the decade of suppressed feelings came bubbling to the surface. She couldn't believe how strongly she felt for Ross, and there was no denying it anymore. She had nearly convinced herself that they were just friends, that the giddy excitement she felt was just a normal friend thing that just happened with some friends, but she knew now that it was more than that. Along with the excitement came something deeper, a connection that she didn't feel with anyone else. It was only Ross, and it would always only be Ross.

"There's no way I can make it without ya," they sang in unison along with the screaming crowd, "do it without ya, be here without ya!"

"Thank you LA!" he exclaimed, fake-dropping his microphone.

He didn't actually drop it, of course. He would probably still need it. True, he could probably easily find another one, but it was special to him. He turned to face Laura, holding the microphone up to speak into it.

"Thank you so much for performing with me, Laura," he said, the crowd now softly but excitedly murmuring.

Laura looked shyly to the ground. She wasn't usually one to be shy, but Ross's straightforwardness and earnestness made her blush a little. She was 27 years old already, but in many ways, she still felt like the teenager she was back when they were closest. She didn't have anything to say, so she just put her arms around his neck and hugged him.

He picked her up and twirled her around in a circle and they both laughed. It was such a childish thing to do, but when they were with each other, they felt like kids again. They were so innocent, so carefree, yet they weren't. There was still a heavy feeling on them both, as if something was weighing them down.

"Thank _you_ , Ross." Laura said as soon as he put her back down to the ground, dropping the crowd's volume back to a murmur. "And thank you, LA! This was amazing, and I'm so glad that all of you still remember _Austin & Ally_... it means a lot to us both. Sometimes it might not seem like it, but believe me, you'd be surprised."

Ross smiled and nodded.

"Well, thanks again," Laura said, laughing a little. "I hope you all like the rest of the concert, I know I sure will! Ross, take it away!"

She started to walk away, but then he stopped her.

"Actually, I have another song before R5. Is that okay?" he asked the crowd, who roared in approval.

"Okay. This one's for you, Laura!" he signalled to his siblings and Ellington to start playing the instrumental part for the song.

At first, Laura didn't recognize the song, but she blushed in pleasure. Ross had dedicated a song to her? Sometimes she doubted what she really meant to him, but she realized that he probably cared for her a lot more than she thought. As soon as the chorus started, she blushed even brighter as he held her hands.

"Every time you need me, I'll be here," he sang, holding her close to him. "Every time you leave me, I'll be near. Every time you hold me like you do, I'm so in love with you!"

The audience screamed in excitement like never before, but he only smiled when he saw that Laura's reaction was not one of negativity or disgust, but one of the same love that he felt.

"Every time you need me, I'll be here," he sang as the chorus returned. "Every time you leave me, I'll be near. Every time you hold me like you do, I'm so in love with you!"

Laura buried her face in her hands, hardly believing what was happening, smiling and shaking her head in disbelief and happiness at the same time. She was just too overwhelmed with emotion.

By the time the chorus returned for the third time, Ross was too overcome with emotion to sing. Instead, he hugged Laura tightly and tried hard not to shed a few tears of ecstasy. Laura, however, held his microphone up and began to sing.

"This is for you, Ross! Every time you need me, I'll be here, every time you leave me, I'll be near. Every time you hold me like you do, I'm so in love with you!"

* * *

 **Author's note: I hope you liked it! I know it's not the most creative or interesting thing that I've ever written but I'm really having writer's block and I'm making it through these busy times with this song. Check it out on YouTube if you're interested! (This is not a paid endorsement or anything, I just love this song)**

 **I might be inactive from fanfiction again for a bit (a few weeks, a few months, I don't know) because I don't have much time or inspiration. It's been a year since I joined, and it's been a pretty cool year. Sorry for spamming this fandom with fics at times. Any feedback in general on my writing style, my writing ideas, or anything in general is appreciated!**


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